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Good Bones

Facebook Marketplace can be a life saver. Maybe not so much for a human life but certainly for the life of unwanted furniture and household items. Take these two outdated end tables (or possibly night tables?) for example. The previous owners were practically giving them away at $7.50 each. Perhaps we are all guilty of forgetting a piece’s worth or potential after staring at it for many, many years. While the staining technique used on these tables is no longer in style, they are constructed quite solidly. In fact, loading them into my car and then back to the painting shed turned into quite a workout. These babies have some weight! To me that’s all the more reason to give them new life as much of the furniture mass produced in recent years cannot claim the same durability.

Unexpected Change of Course

My initial plan of action was a simple clean, light sand for the body, complete sand for the top, a couple coats of Fusion Mineral Champness for the body, and a restain for the tops with Fusion Mineral Cappuccino Stain & Finishing Oil. As the project progressed, I changed course a bit to accommodate some unplanned findings. First, while sanding the bodies lightly with 220 grit paper I began to consider the possibility of the speckles of very dark stain bleeding through the light blue paint. Rather than sanding down to bare wood I chose to use a product from Zinsser as a primer to block stains and seal knots. Second, I had planned to paint and reuse the original hardware but unfortunately one of the handles broke during removal. This turned out to be a good thing as I like the new handles far better. Handy hint, sign up for coupons from Hobby Lobby and use them to buy new hardware. Their selection is fantastic! Third, again something that turned into a good thing, I decided after two coats of Champness to go with a dry brush technique to finish the tables. What I hadn’t noticed when the tables were so darkly stained were the many dings on the bodies of the tables. And honestly, I loved the color and stain but overall the tables looked boring. So, in order to circumvent both of these issues I decided to dry brush the bodies with Fusion Mineral’s Lamp White – the same color I used for my kitchen cabinet redo. It’s a lovely pale gray, and I thought it would compliment the blue nicely. The dry brush technique helps hide the imperfections of the table and lends visual appeal. Not the original plan but flexibility saved the day!

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The Background Story

of this coffee table redo is a little reminiscent of this classic Friends episode. My husband played the part of Ross and, much as I wished I played the part of Jennifer Aniston, I played the part of Chandler. While I didn’t get stuck under the sofa at any point I did get stuck in the bathroom next to the tiny hallway we were trying to navigate. The stairs down to the basement are also reached from the tiny hallway. Small house issues.

Just like in the Friends episode our brown sofa did end up being cut to finally fit through the hall and down the stairs. It’ll be there for many many years to come and possibly forever because that space is NOT meant for moving large furniture. After we (I mean Tom) repaired the sofa our newly finished basement television area looked like this:

Brown and brown.

Is it terrible? Absolutely not. It’s just that I couldn’t help thinking the low ceilings called for less brown. Since the sofa is there to stay until the end of time our coffee table and a small bench headed for makeoverville. The coffee table was actually a Target clearance find a few years back. Inexpensive furniture = My favorite!

The Makeover

Adjacent to our television area is a workout/yoga area and the walls are a soft lavender. I wanted an equally soft color with an organic feel. Miss Mustard Seed’s milk paint in Boxwood fit the criteria perfectly. Prep requires only a good cleaning and a light sand if you wish. I was able to complete the whole project right there in my basement. I cleaned each piece with TSP from Fusion Mineral and sanded just a touch with 220 grit paper. Milk paint is great for achieving a chippy look which is what I wanted. I love the look and it also makes the furniture less fussy. If the kids scratch it or knock into it those blemishes will fit in just fine. Who wants a family room where you can’t relax? Not this lady.

The Paint Process

This was my first experience with milk paint actually but luckily it is so easy to work with. The package has easy to follow mixing instructions – pretty much one part water to one part paint powder. Painting both pieces took me less than an hour. Keep in mind you should stir the paint periodically while painting to keep the pigments from settling. Dry time is super fast with milk paint (about 30 minutes) so the second coat went on the same day. After the second coat was dry, I took the same 220 sand paper used during prep to distress the edges. I didn’t get too much natural chipping on the coffee table but got a nice bit on the bench. The next day I sealed each piece with Fusion Mineral Pearl Wax. You can use wax as a top coat or you can choose hemp oil, tung oil, or a polyurethane to seal. The wax feels soft and smooth and goes on easily with a rag or brush. If your family has a habit of setting drinks directly on the table, you may want a more protective finish. I always keep a tray on mine for snacks and beverages, so I’m not too worried.

The Results

I love my “new” pieces! The color is just what I wanted, and I love the character provided by the chipping and distressing. Here are the before and after photos:

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Give your old hardware new life.

OId handles turned new!

First things first,

allow me to be honest. If this had been a smaller project, I probably would have used some A.C. Moore coupons to purchase new hardware. But considering I had 45 knobs (see my kitchen cabinet post) purchasing new didn’t quite fit the budget. Well, I did find out halfway into the cleaning process that one can find affordable hardware on Ebay. As to the quality of those pieces I am not certain. All of that aside, repurposing something you already have is actually quite satisfying. Before we move on to the nitty gritty, let me share a before photo of my cabinet and knobs.

Worn away paint on frequently used cabinets and poorly painted knobs.

It’s all in the prep!

When we installed these cabinets after moving them from their former home (again, see prior post), the knobs were bright shiny gold. Gold just isn’t our thing. Nothing wrong with it, but it just doesn’t suit our style. So my dear husband removed the knobs and quickly spray painted them a textured looking matte bronze color. No prep. Oops! He meant well god bless his heart. All surfaces in kitchens get at least a fine coating of grease unless you never actually cook in them. I hear there are actually people who have never cooked a thing in their kitchens? What!? Crazy talk I say. Anywho, we learned our lesson once the paint started to peel off the knobs and they began to feel like a toddler’s hands after eating a stack of maple syrup covered pancakes.

Hardware redo take 2

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble! Actually, it was no trouble.

Is the above picture what’s for dinner? Well, I did actually text my mom with this picture of my boiling cabinet knobs and ask her over for dinner. Oddly she declined. Weird. So what is that mess? I read vinegar is the ticket for removing old paint from hardware and fortunately I own an old pot and always have vinegar in the house. Maybe this is a “duh” thing to mention but please don’t use a pot you use for cooking to try this method. After the vinegar and knobs came to a boil, I let them go until I saw the old paint start to peel off. Then I removed a knob using tongs (don’t burn yourselves dearies) and placed it on an old towel. After a quick dry off pat with the towel, I scrubbed the knob a bit with steel wool to remove any remaining paint and to scuff the surfaces a tad. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. The whole process probably took me about an hour.

What if the knobs haven’t been previously painted?

Then you get to skip the boiling vinegar part! Had my darling husband done this right the first time, he would have taken our gold knobs and simply cleaned them well with a degreasing product. To be on the safe side, I still recommend giving them a light scuff just to give the new paint something to grip.

The paint process

Kitchen skewers are such multitaskers. Make some kabobs for dinner or use them for painting. Here’s what I mean.

So high-tech, right? Place newspaper on grass, stick in skewers, place knobs on top, and spray away. That’s it. Seriously. I used a matte black Rust-Oleum spray paint with a built-in primer. There are plenty of other brands and colors to choose from just be sure to read instructions about drying time. This brand took very little time to feel dry to the touch but I waited a few days before putting them back on the cabinets. Not being done with the whole cabinet painting bit also had something to do with the wait.

End Notes

The kitchen has been done for a few weeks now and I’m still in love with the results. Everything is holding up nicely even after wipe offs of a few cooking splatters and grime from general use.

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Now this is a story all about how
My kitchen got flipped-turned upside down
And I’d like to take a minute
Just sit right there
I’ll tell you how I became a painter of a town called…

Oh wait, that doesn’t rhyme. Well, luckily I’m not trying to follow in the footsteps of Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff. I do however want to share how giving your kitchen an affordable makeover shouldn’t be scary at all. Read on for details.

“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.” – Julia Child

First of all, I do hope you appreciate the neighboring of Will Smith lyrics and a Julia Child quote.

While it’s possible you have to be in my age group to do so, I think they’re both timeless celebrities. Now back to that what-the-hell-attitude Julia mentions. She’s referencing cooking but I think the same applies for many home projects. Now I’m kind of making a hypocrite of myself because I looked at my roughed up kitchen cabinets for a couple of years before deciding to tackle the project myself. Sometimes confidence comes from finally finding the right product. For me that product was Fusion Mineral paint.

Before I discuss product further, let me give you a brief history of my kitchen. The kitchen you see above was in someone else’s house before. Yup. It’s actually a salvaged kitchen from one of my contractor father’s customers. The original kitchen to my 1950s house looked like this:

Kitchen original to my house.

Yikes.

This image was taken shortly after we moved in and when I was pregnant with my first child. It really didn’t get much better than this although we did install the dishwasher rather than continue to use it as a surface for coat collection. The layout of the original kitchen wasn’t the most user friendly. The appliances were spread out in opposite corners and there was so much unused space. So when my father offered us a new-to-us kitchen a few years later, we jumped at the opportunity. Granite counter tops people! Those definitely would not have been in our budget had we decided to renovate the kitchen with new material.

Quick side note, had I known then what I know now about painting I never would have gotten rid of the table shown in the picture. Feeling a little sad about it now…

Fast forward to this summer, let me show you what 3 kids plus lots of cooking plus birthday parties and holiday gatherings does to white cabinets over the years.

Worn away paint on frequently used cabinets

Nail polish – that’s a story!

Crisp white turned drab

Worn away paint on frequently used cabinets

Crisp white turned drab

Nail polish – that’s a story!

You get worn away paint, dirty looking corners, and knobs that look and feel like they should be retired. Cosmetics aside, structurally the cabinets were still in fantastic shape and the style still suits my taste. In no way did I want new cabinets I just wanted to pamper them a bit and hopefully extend their life. Answer? Fusion Mineral!

I had used this product on my antique bedroom furniture (cue future post) a year ago and was so impressed with the minimal prep needed. Could it also be used on my kitchen cabinets? After much research and debating plus back and forth about color, I decided to take the plunge just before my kids went back to school. Enough stories, here was my process:

Material List:

Fusion Mineral Lamp White – I used almost 6 jars but bought extra for future touch ups if needed. Each jar covers about 75 sq ft

Lego Duplo Blocks – for raising doors for painting sides and fronts all at once. You could also use painter’s pyramids

Microfiber Roller and Tray – used for large surfaces of cabinets only. I did not use these on the doors although you could do so.

Rags and sponges

Basic tools for removing hardware

220 grit sandpaper

Dropcloth – optional

The Process:

Research your cabinet material to determine what supplies you need. Super slick surfaces will most likely require Ultra Grip. My doors did not need it. You may require a primer or sealer if going from a dark color to a lighter color or if your wood has knots/stains that you want to cover. I’ve seen a shellac based primer from Zinsser recommended on other pages.

Remove cabinet doors and hardware as needed. If your hinges are on the inside like mine, you can leave those on the door unless you plan to paint both sides. I kept all screws and parts in labeled containers. For example, knobs and their screws in one container and hinge screws in another.

Thoroughly clean all areas to be painted with a degreaser. This is essential! Even if you think your kitchen is super clean, you still have at least a light coating of grease on your surfaces. Grease equals poor paint adhesion so don’t risk it. Most degreasers will require rinsing but Fusion Mineral’s does not. Time saver! Woohoo!

Lightly sand with fine grit paper, and I do mean lightly. Your goal is only to scuff up the surface to provide some grip for the paint. You do NOT have to remove all paint. Sanding took me no time at all.

Vacuum and wipe away dust from sanding

Set up your painting area. Thankfully Fusion Mineral has a zero VOC formulation so painting indoors is no problem. I used my garage and my husband’s saw horses. If you don’t have them, you can get creative. Cover some chairs and place the doors between them using the painting pyramids underneath or Lego Duplo Blocks like I did. Just make sure you have room to easily move around each door while painting. Easy peasy!

Apply the first coat. Beware! The first coat can look super scary! Seriously, you may have a small panic attack causing a frantic text to your husband. I’ve heard that can happen…anywho, be sure to apply thin coats. Multiple thin coats are better than fewer thick coats. I believe I heard the creator of Fusion Mineral say those exact words actually. Thinner coats will also minimize brush strokes. You can view further tips on that here. Because I was going from white to a very light gray, I only needed two coats on my cabinets.

Wait at least 4 hours between coats. Grab a cup of coffee and relax!

Optional – you may want to do a very very light sand between coats if you have any drips or unsightly brush strokes. I only had to do this on a few doors.

After the final coat, wait 12 hours before applying Tough Coat. Fusion Mineral does have a built-in top coat but high traffic areas like kitchens benefit from further protection. Applying this coat is very simple and MUCH quicker than applying the paint. I used half of an automotive sponge for this step. Lightly dampen the sponge with water then squirt on the tough coat. You want the sponge to be saturated with product but not drippy. Then, moving quickly and with clean strokes wipe over your surfaces. You want to avoid going back over any areas you’ve already covered as the product dries quickly. I suggest practicing on something first to determine how much product and how much pressure you need to get a smooth finish. Once you get the hang of it, this step really goes quite quickly.

If you aren’t repainting the hardware, all you have to do now is wait a few days before rehanging your beautiful new cabinets! Humidity and temperature can of course affect dry time so use your discretion as to how long you wait before rehanging. Actual cure time is a few weeks so do be sure to treat your newly painted cabinets gently for that time. After that? Kick them, throw pasta on them, whatever you want! Kidding. I’m kidding. But alas, life and spills do happen.

My Finished Product!

I’ll share hardware painting tips in a follow up post to come.

Fun details! I lined each cubby with decorative card stock from my local craft store

Drawer shown in before photos

Coffee served daily 🙂

Who can spot the missing panels? The almost done shot…

End Notes

This whole process took me just over two weeks working every day. Honestly I thought it would take me much longer! Fusion Mineral products are so easy to work with, and I am incredibly happy with the results. Still feeling overwhelmed? Have questions? Please share in the comments. I’ll be happy to help!

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Valerie Lynn Peli

You're here!

My grandma used to say these words with full enthusiasm every time she opened the door upon our arrival. I feel the same enthusiasm at your arrival here at this blog. I feel so honored that you have taken the time to peek at my site! Creativity truly is the best therapy in life. We feel alive by doing, right? Hopefully something you see here will inspire you to check one of those home projects off of your to do list. I'll share my own projects here along with favorite products and easy to follow step by steps. Comments and interaction are encouraged. Let's create together!